Musk Says Chatbot Grok 3 Will Be Unveiled Monday

 A 3D-printed miniature model of Elon Musk and xAI logo are seen in this illustration taken, February 16, 2025. (Reuters)
A 3D-printed miniature model of Elon Musk and xAI logo are seen in this illustration taken, February 16, 2025. (Reuters)
TT
20

Musk Says Chatbot Grok 3 Will Be Unveiled Monday

 A 3D-printed miniature model of Elon Musk and xAI logo are seen in this illustration taken, February 16, 2025. (Reuters)
A 3D-printed miniature model of Elon Musk and xAI logo are seen in this illustration taken, February 16, 2025. (Reuters)

Elon Musk said his startup xAI will release its Grok 3 chatbot on Monday and billed it as the "smartest AI on Earth" in a fiercely competitive market.

The company's flagship artificial intelligence product will go live with a demonstration on Monday night at 8:00 pm Pacific time (0400 GMT), the tech billionaire wrote Saturday on his social media platform X.

Grok 3 was trained on synthetic data and is capable of reflecting on errors it makes by going over data in order to reach logical consistency.

"Will be honing product with the team all weekend, so offline until then," said Musk, the world's richest person and a top advisor to President Donald Trump who is tasked with slashing government spending.

Musk said last week that Grok 3 was in the final stages of development and would be released to the world in a matter of weeks.

xAI is seeking a competitive edge in a market teeming with products like OpenAI's ChatGPT as artificial intelligence spreads through contemporary life.

Chinese startup DeepSeek shocked the global AI industry last month with the launch of its low-cost, high-quality chatbot -- a challenge to US ambitions to lead the world in developing the technology.

DeepSeek quickly overtook ChatGPT in downloads on the Apple app store.

Musk has repeatedly warned that AI poses a risk to human civilization, but he is nonetheless pushing hard for a bigger slice of investment in the sector.

xAI said in December it raised $6 billion in its latest funding round from investors that included US venture capitalists, chipmakers Nvidia and AMD, among others. It raised an initial $6 billion in May.

The company is now one of the world's most valuable startups, though still dwarfed by OpenAI.

Musk, who also acts as boss of SpaceX and Tesla, launched the AI company in July 2023 shortly after he signed an open letter calling for a pause in the development of powerful AI models.

OpenAI's board chairman on Friday said it has unanimously rejected a Musk-led offer to buy the company for $97.4 billion.



Manga Productions to Publish 'Nioh 3' in MENA with Arabic Localization

“Nioh 3” marks the latest chapter in the acclaimed dark samurai action RPG series. (SPA)
“Nioh 3” marks the latest chapter in the acclaimed dark samurai action RPG series. (SPA)
TT
20

Manga Productions to Publish 'Nioh 3' in MENA with Arabic Localization

“Nioh 3” marks the latest chapter in the acclaimed dark samurai action RPG series. (SPA)
“Nioh 3” marks the latest chapter in the acclaimed dark samurai action RPG series. (SPA)

Manga Productions, a subsidiary of Mohammed bin Salman Foundation (Misk), announced on Tuesday its partnership with KOEI TECMO GAMES as the official publisher of the highly anticipated action title “Nioh 3” in the Middle East and North Africa region. The game is scheduled for a worldwide simultaneous launch in early 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Steam.

In a statement, Manga Production said “Nioh 3” marks the latest chapter in the acclaimed dark samurai action RPG series, celebrated for its unique blend of Japanese mythology and intense combat. With over eight million units sold worldwide, the Nioh series has established itself as a global favorite.

This new installment adopts an open field environment and a new battle system that allows players to switch between the two fighting styles "Samurai" and "Ninja" in real time during combat.

As part of the collaboration, Manga Productions will lead the Arabic localization, marketing, and regional publishing efforts. In line with the company's mission to empower local talent, Manga Productions will involve Saudi creatives in the localization process, ensuring a culturally resonant and high-quality experience for Arabic-speaking players.

Manga Productions CEO Dr. Essam Bukhary said the launch of “Nioh 3” with Arabic support for gamers in the region is another step toward delivering world-class experiences while empowering Saudi talent throughout every stage of development.

“The trust we've earned from our global partners reflects Manga Productions' strong capabilities in publishing, distribution, and marketing, as well as our continued success in delivering high-quality, culturally relevant content to audiences across the region,” he stated.

Manga Productions and KOEI TECMO GAMES remain committed to delivering high-quality entertainment that reflects the growing passion and potential of the gaming community across the Middle East.

KOEI TECMO GAMES President and COO Hisashi Koinuma stressed: “After the positive reception of DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS, we're excited to deepen our partnership with Manga Productions to bring Nioh 3 to Arabic-speaking audiences, fully localized and tailored to their expectations.”

Manga Productions Business Development and Content Licensing Director Eng. Abdulaziz Alnaghmoosh said: “Following our collaboration on DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS, which was praised for delivering an Arabic experience that felt original rather than translated, Nioh 3 is our next step in raising that standard.”

“We're committed to offering players a seamless, fully localized journey that feels like it was made for them from day one of the worldwide simultaneous launch,” he remarked.